1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to retail point of sale (POS) scanning and checkout systems which enable retail cashiers to check out goods and services for purchase, while enabling customers to verify the price of products being purchased as they are being scanned, and also learn about consumer products and services offered by retailers through advertisements, promotions and other forms of electronic-education delivered to consumers at a POS-based checkout counter, and receive additional customer services which create value and help improve the quality of life.
2. Brief Description of the State of the Art
POS-based checkout systems of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 are well known in the art and appear to be setting standards in the retail industry, particularly in high-volume checkout applications such as supermarkets, discount stores, superstores, and the like. Such POS-based checkout systems have either a projection-type or a bioptical laser scanner mounted in the countertop between the cashier, who stands on one side of the checkout counter, and the customer, who stands on the other side thereof during checkout operations.
At the checkout system 1 shown in FIG. 1, purchase items are automatically identified by the laser scanning bar code reader 2 as the cashier moves the items in the direction towards the package area where the scanned items are bagged. Automatically the price of each scanned item is displayed on a price display monitor 3 typically located above the cash register terminal 4 in a direction facing away from the item movement direction, illustrated in FIG. 1. Conventional checkout counter arrangements of such design render it difficult for customers to visually track scanned items with their purchased price information being displayed on the price verification display monitor 3. Visual tracking becomes even more difficult when large checkout lines are formed and the cashier is pressured to scan purchase items at the highest speeds humanly possible. In such instances, the customer is typically resigned to accept that scanned items have been properly marked with correct price information, as price verification on the display 3 by the customer is virtually impossible if and when the slightest distraction occurs along the checkout counter. When the customer is accompanied by children, visual price verification tends to become even more difficult.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional courtesy stand 5 often straddles POS-based projection and/or bioptical laser scanner 2, and provides support for an ATM device 6 and its accompanying mag-stripe reader 7. Typically, this scanner/ATM arrangement occupies a large amount of valuable space at the retail checkout counter, and generally detracts from the overall appearance of the checkout counter where products and produce are purchased and sold.
Moreover, while most price verification display monitors 3 located above the cash register terminal are capable of displaying advertisements and promotions to the customers as they checkout their product purchases, such monitors are not capable of performing any other functions in conventional POS-based checkout environments.
Also, the LED indicator lights and audible transducers used in conventional POS based scanners, to indicate that a scanned bar code symbol has been successful scanned and decoded (i.e. read), generally detract from the aesthetic qualities of conventional POS based systems and overall end-user experience enabled at POS-based checkout environments.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for improved POS-based bar code reading systems that are capable of satisfying the diverse requirements of modern checkout operations conducted in physical retail environments, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art POS-based systems and methodologies.